Expanded-metal fabric.



N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL FAB RIC. APPLICATION FILED MAII. II. 1908.

1 203,704. I Patented Nov. 7,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1h I908.

1,203,704. Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

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Nor/v17 E/mare G r Ar awr N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H. 1908.

1,203,704. v Patented Nov. 7,1916.

' 4 SHEETSSHEET 3- 1g 7 5 1 v e Fr Fig. 8- y 51: I 4 63 Fi 9 Fig- 10 so7o a N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. n. 1908.

Patented N 0v. 7, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHET 4.

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TOHNEY.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

EXPANDED-METAL FABRIC.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Application filed March 11, 1908. Serial No. 42Q,520.

To all whom it may-concern Be it known that I, Nornns Emronn CLARK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in thecounty ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Expanded-Metal Fabrics, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to' expanded metal fabrics.

The fabric is particularly intended for use in cement and concrete workas reinforcement for floors, walls and beams. It is also adapted toother classes of use inasmuch as it is readily handled and erected.

The method of manufacture and particularly the stepknown as slitting orlancing is such that the tools necessary are simple and durable and easyto make and keep up. The method of slitting permits a considerabledegree of expansion for a given length of cut.

Vhile it is wasteful to remove any of the material in preparation forexpansion, I wish it understood that the term slitting as herein used inreference to the method is intended to cover such operations asperforating where a slight amount of stock is punched out or lost.

I reserve the right to claim the mechanism for slitting 1n a separateapplication. The accompanying four sheets of drawing illustrate thepreferred form and some modifications of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates the plan of lancing or slitting into bars andstrands. Fig. 2 is a plan of a fragment of the material slitted as shownin Fig. 1 and expanded or stretched out. Fig. 3 is a sectional view ofthe same on the plane of the line a: m Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a similarsectional View showing a bar of round section and the fabric curved.Fig. 5 is a plan of slitting similar to Fig. 1 but showing differentproportions and numbers of strands. Fig. 6 shows a fragment of fabricexpanded from material slitted as shown in Fig. Fig. 7 is a side View offabric slitted as in Fig. 5, expanded as in Fig. 6 and formed into astructure to be used for instance in a beam or girder. Fig. 8 is an endview of the same structure as shown in Fig. 7 the bars being corrugated.Fig. 9 is a similar end View of a differently shaped structure formedfrom the same material as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 Fig. 16 shows afragment of fabric expanded from material slitted as shown in Fig. 15.Fig. 17 is a plan of another modified arrangement of slitting. F 18shows a fragment of fabric expanded from material slitted as shown inFig. 17.

From the drawings it will be seen that the fabric consists of parallelbars c011- nected by strips composed-of three or more strands integrallyconnected in the same plane and offsets which project at right angles onopposite sides. The fabric may of course be subsequently altered bycorrugating, twisting, bending or otherwise forming it into variousspecial structures.

The method of manufacture consists in first,'slitting the stock in twodirections so that. it is composed of parallel bars connected by seriesof extensible strips, each comprising strands extending transverse tothe bars andconnected at the sides of their ends. and second: separatingthe bars so as to .extend the strips and form openings therebetwcen.

The direction of the bars 1, 2-, 3, 4 and 5 may conveniently beconsidered as longitudinal of the fabric for the purpose of relativedescription. Strands 6, 7, 8, 9. 10, 11, 12. 13 and ll which extendtransversely,

constitute .a strip connecting the bars 1 and Preferably each of thestrands which are directly connected to the bars is double the width ofthe other strands on account of their proportionally greater load. Forinstance, strand 14 is connected back to bar 2 by strands 15, 16, 17,'18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. Strand is connected to the side of strand 22opposite strand 21 and constitutes part of another strip connecting bars2 and 1. These strips are connected back and forth zig-zag fashion frombar to bar. .At the points of connection between the strands are offsetssuch as 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 some of which project upwardlyand some downwardly from the plane of the sheet. These offsets act asanchors when the fabric is used in concrete work. The strips 32, 33, 34and 35 form the. outline of a diamond shaped figure which is dividedinto two triangles by the bar 2. The strands 36, 37 and 38 correspondwith strands 6, 14: and 22, but they face in opposite directions.

The sheet from which the fabric is made may be of a specially rolledsection so that the bars will be any desired cross section such as roundas shown. at 2 in Fig. 4.

The transverse slitting may be accomplished by gangs of cutters, the,punch members of which correspond with strands 7,9, 11, 13, 15, 17,19and 21, each punch cutting on both edges so as to formslitssuch as 40and 41. The longitudinal slits such as 42, 43, 11 and 45 may be formedby other cutters after the transverse slitting. The strands may beindented or set at the ends of the slits so as to start the bending ofthe offsets and facilitate the expansion or stretching operation. Afterslitting the stock longitudinally and transversely the bars areseparated so as to elongate the strips and form openings. In thisexpansion some ofthe intermediate strands turn over endwise forinstance, strands 7, 9, 11 and 13 but their surfaces become parallelagain when expansion is complete even when the sheet is curved as inFig. 4.

In the material shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the stock is divided into bars50, 51 and 52 connected by strips such as 53, '54 and 55 each composedof five strands such as 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60. Strand 56 may beconsidered as divided by an imaginary transverse line into two parts,the left half being connected to strand 57 and forming part of strip 53and the right half being connected to strand 61 and forming part ofstrip 54. The strands and 62 together with the adjacent part of thecenter bar 51 constitute a cross beam which connects the opposite seriesof strands. Similarly the strands or projections 63 and 61 constituteanother. cross beam.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the fabric of Fig. 6 worked up into a structure forgirder reinforcement. Here the bars 50, 51 and 52 are stifl'ened bycorrugating, the strands 63 and 64, constitute horizontal beammembersand the strips 65, 66 and 67 constitute side trusses having the anchorssuch as 68, 69 and 70.

In the form shown in Fig. 9 the bars 71 of strips each consisting ofthree strands 78, 7 9 and with the oppositely projecting olfsets 81 and82. The bars may be twisted or turned on edge as shown at 76' and 77' 14if desired to afford additional ledges, or ridges or seats for thecement or mortar. In the form shown in these figures strand 83 isbetween strands 80 and 84 instead of being oppositeeither of them. Thistype is the result of the simple arrangement of slitting of Fig. 11. I

The slitting of Fig. 15 results in bars 85 and 86 connected by strands87, 88, 89, 90 and 91. 'By thusomitting any bar connecting strands orcross beams 89, 92, etc., a

greater expansion is permitted and the fabric is more flexible. Theslitting of Fig. 17

is somewhat different and permits of a great amount of expansion asshown in Fig. 18. The bars 93 and 94 are connected by series of stripsconsisting of strands such as 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 and 101. Each ofthese. fabrics has its own advantages and particular uses and all areintended to be covered by the broad claims. It will; be noted that ineach case the strands project at'right angles from the bars or tensionmembers so that there are no small angles or corners to form voids inconcrete work and the offsets projecting at right angles to the strandsabsolutely prevent lateral slip and greatly aid in properly distributingthe stresses in the concrete and steel. In the girder formations ofFigs. 7 8 and 9 the trusslike sides prevent any of the bars from movingtoward each other when embedded in concrete or longitudinally at anytime.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An expanded metal fabric consisting of parallel side bars and acenter bar, opposite projections integral with the sides of the centerbar, the projections on one side being, directly opposite and in line ofcross tension with the projections on the opposite side, projectionsintegral with the side bars and between the longitudinal positions ofthe projections carried by the center bar, and extensible stripscomposed of integrally united strands projecting at right angles to thebars with their edges parallel and connecting the projections andforming diamond shaped openings divided by the bars adjacent connectingstrands being independent of each other.. i

2. An integral expanded metal structure comprising a longitudinal centerbar, longitudinal side bars disposed in a plane below the plane of thecenter bar, strands connected to the center bar and extendinghorizontally in opposite directions from the sides of said center barand strips each consisting of integrally united vertical strands connected with the outer ends of the horizontal strands and adjacent stripsextending downwardly on opposite inclines and connected with the sidebars at their lower ends to form zigzag truss-like sides connecting thehorizontal strands and side bars.

3. An expanded metal fabric blank having two rows of longitudinal slitstherein spaced apart and with the slits in the respective rows arrangedin staggered relation with respect to each other and two series ofspaced transverse slits united with each of the longitudinal slits andarranged with one series of transverse slits extending from alongitudinal slit in one row overlapping and alternating with one seriesof t ansverse slits extending from a longitudinal slit in the sec- 0ndrow and the second series of t ansverse slits extending from thefirst-mentioned lon NORRIS ELMO RE CLARK.

\Vitnesses A. V. BROOK, D. G. CLARK.

